Tag: Lexus RC F

Didn’t we just see one of these 1 of 50 2020 Lexus RC F Track Editions here? Well yes, in August there was this one for $86,000 in Tampa. Now “Coming Soon” is a second one at a higher price and higher miles. Another unicorn. I’m going to keep posting on these until all 50 hit CarMax!

The Lexus RC F used to have a half-volleyball hump along the transmission tunnel just aft of the gas pedal that drove me bat shit. Hit me in the calf. It’s gone now, and I sat in an RC F last week and it fit just fine. The cockpit seems so modern and unconventional compared to all the Euro cars I’ve been covering. Afraid I dig it too much!

But the red interior makes it a non-starter for me, as does the “not approved by AARP” rear wing. But Car and Driver reviewed the car and while they thought it a pretty good Lexus, it was not a “track edition” the way you might think of an M4 or 911 GTS when it comes to track.

The car still does a very low four second 0-60 mph run and tops out at 168 mph. What little performance improvements there are over a base RC F are due to the weight savings from extensive carbon fiber replacement parts, and the downforce from the rear wing above.

Something about a naturally aspirated V-8 that sounds powerful and old school. Hard to think of a Lexus as old school It puts out 472 hp, within spitting distance of the Mercedes C63, the BMW M3, and Chevrolet SS’s I’ve covered here. Perhaps at only 1 of 50 in the USA it’s for a driver that wants an edge over “base” RC F’s, but at $30,000 more than a non-track car seems to be a stretch on value. Add MaxCare if you must and be into the high $90,000’s, but this car is still under Lexus manufacturer warranty. The car is “Coming Soon” to Gastonia, NC, just outside of Charlotte. The link is here, and because I’m finding the final pix I post from the website damn near unviewable, I’m going to start adding the VIN and Stock Number to better track (pun intended) cars when they disappear (and reappear) on CarMax websites. Why didn’t I think of that years ago?

VIN # JTHYP5BC2L5007752 Stock # 21639588 

The Lexus RC F is a pretty impressive car in vanilla form. The luxury coupe sports a 5.0 liter V-8 with 467 hp and every feature you could want. They sold new in the mid-$60,000 range and CarMax has a half-dozen regular RC F’s with low mileage for under $50,000. Those cars are capable of low-four second 0-60 mph runs and a 168 mph top speed. But anybody can own a vanilla Lexus RC F. Only 50 Track Editions were imported to the USA. That alone makes them a unicorn.

What’s so special about the Lexus RC F other than the limited production? Honestly not much. A big-ass wing for starters that adds 58 pounds of downforce when you hit that 168 mph straightaway. Carbon fiber on the hood, roof, and decklid that shaves 121 pounds. I never get such little weight loss. Add my wife as the passenger and we’re back where we started! Throw in a cooler of beer and I’m slower than before! Seriously though you get a little bit more upgrades on the RC F Track over a standard car but not much.

The same motor makes only five (yes 5) more horsepower than the stock RC F. Coupled with the weight loss that reduces 0-60 times by .3 seconds. Not a fan. The Track Edition also gets a front splitter, tweaked adaptive dampers that are more aggressive, and drops the torque-vectoring differential for what Car and Driver calls a more benign handling attitude. Meh.

The Lexus RC F interior is wonderful for a luxury coupe. Never liked bordello red for a car but many buyers do. What I have never been able to figure out is the hump protruding from the hump that boxes in the driver’s heel. I have been tempted more than once by RC F’s as bargain V-8 coupes but I cannot get my size 12 foot to work the gas pedal around that mound. Again, the regular RC F seems to be a bargain unicorn and I’m struggling, other than exclusivity of owning a 1 of 50 unit, to get why I’d want this once $97,000 car that’s only depreciated to $85,998. It does have only 4,000 miles on it since purchased almost two years ago, and with existing dealer warranty and Lexus reliability there’s really no need for MaxCare. Find this 2020 Lexus RC F here in Tampa, Florida.

The Matte Nebula Gray painted exterior caught my attention first, then the cool blue interior, and reading the reviews in Motor Trend and Our Auto Expert was surprised to learn this paint scheme on the 2019 Lexus RC F 10th Anniversary Edition is the first on a production car since… the Lexus LFA in 2012.  I kind of dig it.  Also learned the 10th Anniverary Edition cost a whopping $16,000 more than a vanilla RC F coupe.

What do you get for that? Not entirely sure.  Same powertrain – 467 hp V-8 with an eight speed Sport Direct Shift transmission, but the reviews suggest the Performance Package (carbon fiber front spoiler, roof, splitters, rear diffuser, and speed activated rear wing, torque vectoring differential, carbon fiber interior trim, and more!), and blue Brembo brake calipers, wider and lower adjustable suspension, and triple beam LED headlights.

All of the reviews I saw flip flopped between the RC F 10th Anniversary Edition and the base RC F coupe, and so I can’t say with any certainly what that $16,000 gets you – except for damned sure some exclusivity, with only 240 of these Matte Nebula Gray models on the streets.  Find this one-owner car originally owned in Washington here in Austin, Texas.  No need for MaxCare – still under manufacturer warranty for four years and 50,000 miles!  The car sold new for about $90,000 just one year ago.  

If you don’t care for the high price or exclusivity and upgrades of the anniversary edition you can have the regular old 2015 RC F below with 19,000 miles for only $44,998 – another $25,000 less than the 10th Anniversary Edition model.  Awful tempting.  Find this cheaper one here in Los Angeles.